1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a striker for a turkey call, and more particularly, to a turkey call striker with a retractable rod to facilitate portability of the striker and to prevent damage to the rod.
2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
Devices used to call turkeys and other game birds are well known in the prior art. Hunters and photographers have used many different devices, which are known as "calls," to lure these birds into range for hunting or observing. Unfortunately, many of these calls are expensive, with electronic calls often costing thousands of dollars. Many of the more economical calls require hours of practice to adequately reproduce the sounds of a wild turkey.
A typical bird call consists of a stylus-shaped striker and a plate. The striker is moved along the surface of the plate in various ways to reproduce different sounds of game birds. Given its stylus shape, the striker portion of a turkey call is especially prone breaking or being otherwise damaged the user. These one-piece strikers are additionally awkward to carry, as the user is often crouched behind a bush or similar object, often in adverse weather. Under such conditions the striker is particularly susceptible to damage.
Turkey calls employing one-piece strikers are have been disclosed in the prior art. One such device is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,025,181 which issued to N. Simon on Dec. 24, 1935. This device comprises a sound-amplifying shell and a metal spring projecting therefrom. The tip spring is rubbed against a block of wood to produce turkey-like sounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,958,157 which issued to W. P. Tannehill on Nov. 1, 1960, discloses a bird call comprising a sound-producing box wherein the top thereof houses a removable sound-producing surface. The box additionally has a vibrating stylus that, when employed in conjunction with the sound producing surface, produces sounds similar to that of a wild turkey. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,184 discloses a turkey caller comprising a striker post and a hollow sound intensifying chamber having a friction surface. The free end of the striker post is rubbed against the friction surface to produce the desired turkey sound. The post is stored inside of the cap or cover when not in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,852 which issued to Wingate on Mar. 10, 1987, discloses a turkey call which comprises a hollow rectangular call box and a striker. The striker comprises a plastic tip and a sound chamber, and when the tip is frictionally rubbed against the call box, the sounds simultaneously emitted from the call box and the sound chamber simulate the call of a wild turkey. The striker of this invention is fragile and may be prone to breakage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,221 which issued to A. Taylor on Feb. 27, 1997, discloses a Mississippi turkey caller comprises a plate glass plate and a striker having either a plexiglass handle or corncob handle. The striker is then rubbed across the plate to simulate the sounds of a wild turkey.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,325 which issued to Alderson et al. on Jan. 29, 1991, discloses a turkey call comprising a rectangular hollow call box having a stone striking surface thereon, and a call striker comprising a hollow dowel that slidingly engages into a hole in a damper. The damper functions to produce a variety of turkey-like sounds when the dowel is rubbed against the call box.
While turkey call strikers having dowels of adjustable, extrensible length are known in the related art, none of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Hence a turkey call striker solving the aforementioned problems is desired.